PRESS RELEASE

New Report Shows Health Centers Play Critical Role in Improving Health of Vulnerable Populations

Beverly Quintana
Director of Development and Public Affairs
(510) 272-9536 x112
bquintana@aapcho.org

OAKLAND, Calif. – Patients served at health centers have better access to services and improved health outcomes, a report released by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) found, despite experiencing social barriers and more complex health needs. This new analysis underscores the key role health centers play in delivering care to vulnerable populations, including medically underserved Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders (AA&NHOPIs).

The report states that despite facing multiple risk factors—93 percent of AA&NHOPI patients served at health centers live in poverty, and one-third are limited English proficient—that patients who received care at AA&NHOPI-serving community health centers (CHCs) had better health outcomes, including improved hypertension control and diabetes management.

Moreover, to meet the needs of this population, AA&NHOPI-serving CHCs were also shown to provide a significantly greater number of enabling services, or non-clinical services such as interpretation, transportation and health education and outreach, to help increase this population’s access to care. AA&NHOPI-serving CHCs employ nearly double the number of enabling services staff compared to health centers nationally and are typically underfunded for these services, according to the report.

“These findings demonstrate the value of health centers, especially those serving the diverse and fast growing AA&NHOPI population,” said Jeffrey Caballero, executive director of AAPCHO. “It is our hope that policymakers will recognize the importance of both clinical and non-clinical services, and of the key role health centers play in providing these services to those who need them most.

AA&NHOPIs represent the fastest growing minority group in the United States, and make up an increasing number of patients seen at health centers. In providing high-quality, cost-effective care, including non-clinical enabling services, health centers save the U.S. health care system over $24 billion by reducing hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

A copy of the report is available at http://bit.ly/AAPCHO-AccessReport. AAPCHO will also be presenting the key findings of the report on a webinar scheduled for December 17, 2015. To register for this webinar, click here.

About AAPCHO
AAPCHO is a national association of 35 community health organizations dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration and leadership that improves the health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders in the United States. For more information on AAPCHO, please visit www.aapcho.org.